The present invention relates to a system for communicating information. More specifically, a system is disclosed for communicating information, including visual data, between two devices or individuals, such as a transaction processing system and an initiator of a transaction.
Known systems are available for communicating information between two devices, such as a telephone communication system that communicates information between two telephones across a public switched telephone network (PSTN). A telephone allows an individual to contact another individual by dialing a particular telephone number. Once the connection is established, the two individuals communicate by talking to one another. Since most organizations use telephones (including private branch exchanges (PBXs)), and a majority of individual households have at least one telephone, the conventional telephone is an efficient and popular communication system.
In a conventional telephone system, only audible information is exchanged between the two individuals. Thus, the individuals cannot see the other person or exchange any visual information. Using this type of system, an individual calling an organization requesting additional information about a product or service, must rely on audible information (either from a live person or a recorded message). Visual information is not exchanged in a conventional telephone system.
Telephones that incorporate video data with the audible data (commonly referred to as videophones) have been developed. However, these videophones are relatively expensive and require specialized hardware (the videophone) at each end of the telephone communication link. Unless videophones gain increased consumer acceptance, most telephone communications will be limited to conventional telephones exchanging audible data. Furthermore, videophones do not typically permit the transmission of transactional data between the users of the system. For example, a user of a videophone cannot typically transmit data, such as computer-based data, to the other individual or system. The users are generally limited to exchanging information audibly and displaying information or objects to the camera such that an image of the information or object is communicated to the other individual or system.
Existing systems are available for establishing a connection between two individuals across the Internet (commonly referred to as Internet Phones). These Internet Phones allow the communication of both visual data and audible data between the two individuals. Although the popularity and utilization of the Internet is growing quickly, Internet Phones are less convenient than conventional telephones because they require custom software and cannot exchange visual data with a conventional analog telephone. Furthermore, a limited number of individuals and organizations use Internet Phones on a regular basis. A person or organization that does not use an Internet Phone cannot be contacted by another individual or organization using an Internet Phone.
Existing communication systems do not permit the augmenting of a non-visual communication path (e.g., a telephone call) with visual data or transactional data having a defined structure. Existing telephone systems are limited to communicating only non-visual data. Videophones are limited to communicating non-visual data and non-transactional visual data. Videoconferencing systems are also limited to communicating non-visual data and non-transactional visual data.
It is therefore desirable to provide a mechanism that provides a convenient and efficient system for exchanging both transactional data and audible data between two individuals or systems.
The present invention is related to a system for communicating information, including visual data, between two devices or individuals. For example, embodiments of the present invention communicate information, including visual data, between a transaction processing system and an initiator of a transaction. In an embodiment of the invention, the transaction initiator is able to communicate with the transaction processing system using a telephone. The transaction processing system provides the transaction initiator with a resource locator, such as a uniform resource locator (URL). The resource locator is used by a computer or other processing device to retrieve information, such as information contained in Internet web pages, associated with the resource locator.
An embodiment of the invention responds to a received transaction by detecting a received transaction generated by a transaction initiator. A uniform resource locator (URL) is associated with the received transaction. The URL is then provided to the transaction initiator.
In a particular embodiment of the invention, the received transaction includes a request to receive a URL.
Another embodiment of the invention generates an Internet web page in response to the received transaction and associates the generated web page with the URL.
In one embodiment of the invention, the received transaction is a telephone call.
An embodiment of the invention identifies the transaction initiator and associates a URL with the received transaction based on the transaction initiator""s identity.
In other embodiments of the invention, the transaction is received on a first communication medium and the URL is associated with a second communication medium.
Another embodiment of the invention responds to a telephone call initiated by a telephone caller by associating a resource locator with the received telephone call and providing the resource locator to the telephone caller.